INTRODUCTION:Being Singapore's most popular attraction, getting to Sentosa is hassle-free. There are various ways to get here - by driving, local buses, cable car and even walking.

DRIVING INTO SENTOSA:It is possible to drive into Sentosa. With the advent of ultra-efficient public transportation modes into the island, there are barely any cars that line up across Sentosa Avenue Gateway Bridge. Nonetheless, once you get into the island, you do have to worry about finding the closest parking area before spending the rest of the time enjoying Sentosa's many tourist attractions. I list down the carpark areas in Sentosa further below. Note that there is also a minimal entrance fee of SGD2.00 per car and a subsequent SGD2.00 for each pax travelling in the car.

Now, back to driving direction to Sentosa:

If you are coming from Johor Bahru across the Causeway into Woodlands, get into Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and then get off at Pan Island Expressway (PIE). Look for the exit sign into Clementi Road and then West Coast Road. The latter will lead you straight to Sentosa Gateway Bridge into the island.

If you are coming from Tuas Checkpoint, get into Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) for about 20 minutes and then look for the sign to Teluk Blangah. Once you are driving along Teluk Blangah Road, there will be ample road signs that guide you to Sentosa.

PARKING FOR YOUR CAR:There are 7 designated parking areas for private cars in Sentosa. Each of them are meant for different tourist attractions on the island. Ensure that you get to the correct parking area so that you don't have to do with a long walking to various points of interest.

Ferry Terminal CarparkLocated at Sentosa's main ferry terminal adjacent to the Gateway Bridge. There isn't any particular attractions nearby, hence you may not find the need to park your car here.

Visitor Arrival CarparkJust opposite Gateway Carpark. Similarly, you can park your car here right after crossing the Sentosa Gateway Bridge and then wait for the buses that ferry right into Sentosa's attractions.

CABLE CAR:To me, nothing beats arriving in Sentosa by its famous cable car. While the ticket price is considerably expensive (SGD9.90 one-way or SGD10.90 round-trip), the experience of "flying on air" complemented by glorious view of Singapore's skyline and emerald-green ocean is simply unmatched. For me, this is the only way to get into Sentosa. Read my full travel experience here.

The cable car journey commences from HarbourFront Tower 2 which is accessible from MRT NE1 HarbourFront station. There are also cable cars departing from Mt Faber which is further inland, thus providing longer and more scenic journey into Sentosa.

SBS TRANSIT BUS:If you are coming within Singapore's outskirt precincts, you can take various local buses to get to HarbourFront bus interchange. From the interchange, you can choose from either walking across Sentosa Gateway Bridge, taking the cable car ride from HarbourFront Tower 2, or getting on the many orange-coloured Sentosa buses at HarbourFront Bus Interchange.

Depending from where you are, these are the bus numbers that get your to HarbourFront interchange along Telok Blangah Road - 30, 65, 80, 97, 100, 131, 145, 166, and 855.

SENTOSA BUS:Sentosa buses depart every few minutes from HarbourFront bus interchange. The bus fare is SGD1.00 which is proved to be extremely popular judging from the mile-long queue that I saw on my returning trip from Sentosa. Getting into Sentosa by bus is rather uneventful compared to Sentosa Cable Car, but it is affordable for most tourists.

The operating hours are 0700-2300 hrs on Sundays to Thursdays, and 0700-0030 on Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holidays. Note that the last bus leaving Sentosa to the bus interchange is 2300 hrs on Sundays to Thursdays, and 0030 hrs on Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holidays.

SENTOSA MONORAIL:While it is currently being taken out of service for rejuvenation project, Sentosa Monorail was once a popular mode to get into and around the island.

During my visit, I saw the work for the new Sentosa Express is already at an advanced stage of its construction. Expected to be completed by year-end 2006, Sentosa Express transform visitor's experience into a more stylish mode of transportation. Stay tuned!

WALKING:Yes, you can walk across Sentosa's Gateway Avenue Bridge from HarbourFront Centre if you feel like to. The distance is less than 1 kilometre, if not slightly more. Quite a great experience if you can bear the tropical heat with various photography moments like the harbour views, Singapore city skyline and gigantic cruise ships docked along the narrow straits.